Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

Whatever their relationship, both of them DID get a lot more out of it then they bargained for. I think they helped to heal each other and yes, they were a joy to watch, truly what the show is about for me.

Yes, Maks has shed the 'bad boy' image for good. He's shown himself to be considerate, caring, sweet and a true gentleman on top of being charming, funny and too hot for words. It will be interesting to see how that translates on Season 11.

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

IMO - they're either dating or very, very close friends. I just rewatched a few of their dances yesterday and their chemistry was definitely off the charts. Can you have chemistry like that with someone if you're both single and NOT physically attracted to each other? Then I remember a reporter who (I think at Tom's birthday party) saw them "making out" in a back hallway. Who knows? I imagine they get together from time to time, but they both have demanding schedules. I do know I enjoyed Maks' smiles and dry humor, as well as his delight, this season. IDK if we'll see that again. He can be very serious-happy when his partner does well, but he doesn't have that look he had with Erin!

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

Originally Posted by Beachmom;3995918;

IMO - they're either dating or very, very close friends. I just rewatched a few of their dances yesterday and their chemistry was definitely off the charts. Can you have chemistry like that with someone if you're both single and NOT physically attracted to each other? Then I remember a reporter who (I think at Tom's birthday party) saw them "making out" in a back hallway. Who knows? I imagine they get together from time to time, but they both have demanding schedules. I do know I enjoyed Maks' smiles and dry humor, as well as his delight, this season. IDK if we'll see that again. He can be very serious-happy when his partner does well, but he doesn't have that look he had with Erin!

I agree with Beachmom. I don't think their relationship is for publicity at all.

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

Erin Andrews appeared in Washington, D.C. to advocate for tougher anti-stalking laws. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)Most celebvocates, for all their sincerity and star power, come to Washington with just a fleeting connection to their cause. Erin Andrews, who came to the Hill Tuesday to plead for tougher stalking laws, has raw, first-hand experience.

Last year naked pictures of the ESPN sportscaster, 32, were posted on the Internet after she was videotaped through the peephole of her hotel rooms. Michael David Barrett, who rented rooms adjacent to Andrews, pleaded guilty to stalking charges and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. Two weeks ago, she filed a lawsuit against Barrett and the hotels for emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

"The public needs to learn about stalking," Andrews (blonde hair pulled in a ponytail, black dress and high heels) told reporters Tuesday. "I had no idea just how serious this crime was until it affected my life. ..... That video on the Internet will be there for the rest of my life."

Flanked by Rep. Loretta Sanchez and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the ESPN sportscaster called for passage of H.R. 5662, which adds tougher provisions and new technology to anti-stalking laws. The bill has one of those tortured acronyms to underscore the point: The "Simplifying the Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe" aka STALKERS Act of 2010. "The problem here is that the predators are more technologically sophisticated than the laws that can be used to enforce the statues against them," said Klobuchar.

The lawmakers took great pains to remind everyone that the vast majority of stalking victims were not glamorous TV stars (like Andrews, Playboy's "Sexiest Sportscaster" two years in a row), but average citizens. The sportsbabe said she initially resisted competing on "Dancing With The Stars" for fear of appearing to exploit all the attention, but then decided she could be a role model.

"If I didn't do the show because I was worried about what people thought about me, then what kind of message does that send to other targets of stalking? ..... I could give a face to stalking and they could say, "Wow this is big time. We have to support it."

I hope Erin realizes what light her horrible ordeal shed on this. I'm sure it'd give her a little peace of mind if something good came out of it. Passing stalking measures and keeping them enforced has been an uphill battle, but they need to get with the times and technology. I admire Erin for her fight on this. Screw all her naysayers who thought she needed to hide in a hole and only come out wearing a potato sack covering every inch of her body.

In other season 10 news, the entire cast is getting together in a few weeks for a reunion dinner. Everyone was invited...except one person

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

The final say on Erin and Maks' "relationship:"

What was a good part about Dancing With The Stars?

It made me forgot a lot of things that happened (with the stalking incident). The reason why I was there was to get away. It was amazing therapy. It sort of addressed a lot of my insecurities and made me face them – all doing this with this gorgeous man [Maxsim Chmerkovskiy], who could shake it better than me.

What was your relationship with Max?

We never dated. He was kind of my protector; he loved being the protector. He took care of my sister [Kendra] and I. We called him our chaperone. He was our concierge. He knew the hot spots to go. He was perfect for me in that time in my life.

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

I'm surprised at how a number of Maks fans (on twitter) seem to be taking it so personally, like Erin rejected Maks when he was soooo in love with her. Come on! Let's live in the real world people. We have no idea whether Maks was hot for Erin or not. We don't know these people. Twitter and the rest of the Internet give us the illusion that we do, but we don't. And even if Maks WAS in love with her, if Erin truly didn't feel the same way then she was under no obligation to go out with him or give him a chance. I think it's irritating how some fans - SOME, not all - are vilifying Erin (omg she was leading him on, that hussy!) for apparently being so callous as to reject poor lovelorn Maks. FFS, people! Why is it that the woman in this sort of situation always comes out the worse for wear? Maks is a big boy, he can handle himself.

/not directed at anyone here, I'm just ranting about some tweets I just read.

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

Sometimes I think twitter and other forms of social networking were a bad invention. Maks has taken his share of flack from fans of other pros, and people who dislike him in general. Once in awhile a post pops up where he mentions "the haters" so I guess they're probably private tweets and messages he gets. He'll probably come out and say something about Erin. Hopefully that ends speculation once and for all, but I enjoyed their partnership as a whole and am glad it happened. They helped make season 10 for me.

Re: Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 10

Oh, Twitter. Yeah, there's no wall now that protects celebs from receiving crazy comments about themselves. The tricky part about celebrity, however, is that you voluntarily put your life in the public eye, not that such a choice should strip you of your humanity/right to privacy. In doing that, you kinda open yourself up to scrutiny. I have to admit that, given Erin's ordeal with stalking, I was quite shocked that she'd allow any speculation about her romantic life, esp. anything with her dance partner, to circulate.

Part of the problem with Erin and Maks' relationship is that it became a focal point of their DWTS partnership. If early on they'd have squashed-like-a-bug the dating rumors, not many of the die-hards would've been so offended by their more recent complete denial of any type of romance. Sure, it wasn't entirely their doing as production edited their packages into "lovers' quarrels," but they certainly didn't help matters with their Twitter, their press comments, and their regular outings arm-in-arm. Maks does not do the same things with Brandy. The only time people saw him out like that was with Willa and Karina, so many people made assumptions. Add to that that they threw around "I love you" along with a host of other public tweets or comments, all of which supported the idea that more was happening behind the cameras. It captivated romantics and drew many people to both of them. Many felt that, by eventually denying any romance in favor of a showmance, that they were "used" for votes. I'd say that, when I read an interview where Maks finally addressed their relationship instead of his and her usual coy evasions, I was frustrated. I could care less about the votes; just be honest with people; why play them?

But, yes, there is a public persona and a private self. Truth is that none of us know who either of them really is. And with that knowledge, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't tweet at all to a celebrity.